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Erica Gets a Backbone : Mary Mary Season 4, Episode 7 Recap…

 

marymaryHello World,

As many Christians know, 7 is the number of completion so as it is the 7th episode of Season 4 of Mary Mary reality’s show, one would expect something to be completed in this week’s episode…Was something completed? Of course, you have to read on to find out 🙂

white dressSo this week’s episode starts in the studio, Tina and her husband Teddy along with Warryn, producer for Mary Mary and Erica Campbell as well as Erica’s husband (for those new to the show), are discussing Tina making a solo album…Aside: I noticed that Tina was wearing a red dress that showed a lot of cleavage…Remember when Erica Campbell wore that white form-fitting dress in a promo shoot for her solo album and was giving major body although she was fully covered? The thing is that Mary Mary have been outside of the gospel music box since jump, and I think that attitude comes out in everything they do from their clothing choices to their reality show…So my question is: Do you think that Christian women should feel comfortable showing their cleavage OR showing off their curves even if they are fully clothed? Okay, so back to the recap…

Studio Scheming…

So while Tina is talking about potentially making music of her own, Warryn is getting excited because he secretly hopes that if Tina starts working on her own music, she won’t focus on Mary Mary… Warryn says, “I need Tina to focus on her solo career and stop worrying about Mary Mary because that will help all of us.” In other words, Erica can continue to work on promoting her solo brand without having to consider Mary Mary…But just when he thinks  his secret plan is working, he realizes he is foiled again when he asks her if she has definite plans for an album and she can’t answer the question….

Speaking of Breasts… pink ribbon

It’s that time of the year that women of a certain age dread…It’s time for Erica to have a mammogram and she is scared….”Warryn beat cancer five years ago, and my father died of cancer,” Erica says to her friend, Yvette, who comes to the doctor with her….Apparently, Yvette has battled cancer three or four times…I so understand that fear…Having lost two of my sorority sisters because of breast cancer, I know, if I don’t know anything else, that breast cancer is no joke…But I’m proud of Erica for not letting her fear immobilize her and that she reached out to her friend to support her in taking of herself…

The “No Love” Boat…

Erica

Erica has no time to worry about the results of her mammogram because Mary Mary has a gig on a Costa Rican cruise…Tina booked the Marys to perform on the cruise and sees the cruise as a way for them to have a vacation with their hubbies AND perform…Warryn & Erica don’t see it the same way…”A cruise ship is where acts go to die,” Warryn says…

Tina

Tina is tranquil for a hot second before she realizes that her room is right by the elevator which could make her an easy target for fans…But before she gets in somebody’s face about it and threatens to leave the boat as the “Old Tina” would do, she simply asks to be moved to a different room without a lot of drama…A round of applause for her self-control…

Erica

Warryn & Erica are still grumbling about even being on the boat in the first place as they discuss the situation in their room…Warryn is pressuring Erica to finally stand up to her sister and let her know that she wants to focus on her solo career not Mary Mary…”If this was Tina, she would do whatever suited her,” he says…

Tina

A few minutes later, at least in TV time, we find out that Tina & Warryn have gotten a new room…Hallelujah, Tina didn’t have to tear the club up to get a new room…While in their new more private room, Teddy and Tina have a FaceTime conversation with their daughter Laiah, who is dressed in a cheerleading outfit and ready to cheer! Tina yells, “Put somethin’ on it!!! Some hot sauce!!!” See that’s why Tina has that red hair…She know she’s fiery like some hot sauce…I had another philosophical question while watching tonight’s episode….I wonder what it’s like to have parents that travel all of the time? My parents were home all of the time…Shoot, I wished they traveled back then so I could have some time away from them…So anyway, I have no idea what it would be like to be a kid and be away from your parents on a somewhat regular basis…

Erica

While Erica is away from her husband, she gets a call from her doctor’s office…I really hate when the doctor’s office calls…Don’t you? The cliche’ “no news is good news” must have been said originally by someone who was glad the doctor’s office hadn’t called…And unfortunately, Erica is told some bad news…The test results are inconclusive, and Erica is told to come back to the doctor’s office as soon as she returns from her cruise….So if that was me, I would have to have the captain to turn the ship back around because there is no vacation at that point…Erica says, “This is not the news that I need to hear as I sail away.” Erica goes back to her room and tells Warryn about the call from the doctor’s office. He says to the camera, “I was personally diagnosed with cancer, and I survived so I understand her stress.” Well, Praise God that he is a survivor!!!

 B-Ball Breakdown

Warryn & Teddy Campbell (it still trips me out they have the same last name although they aren’t brothers and married sisters!) play some basketball on the ship…While they are playing the game, Warryn tries to convince Teddy to encourage his wife to launch her solo career…Teddy seems to agree with his brother-in-law…Warryn hopes his conversation was “another nail in the coffin of Mary Mary.” So I’m thinking that the death imagery was too deep…

The Campbells Times Two

The four of them go to dinner on the boat. Warryn has encouraged his wife to tell Tina that she is going to focus on her career instead of Mary Mary and basically get everything out in the open…And now that Teddy is in on his plan, it should be smooth sailing at this point…But nobody puts Tina in a corner and she goes off like you thought she would…While the sisters are arguing, Warryn looks to Teddy to support them…But Teddy says nothing. “I’ve been praying for wisdom, and I know not to get in the middle of two sisters,” Teddy says to the camera…And after what Teddy did, he basically can’t cross Tina for the rest of their marriage…Erica calls Tina “a major butt hole.” Finally, Tina says to Teddy, “C’mon baby” and they leave without Teddy saying a word…Again, he would need not to ever disagree with her ever again…

Rain Forest Excursion

The four get off the boat in Costa Rica and tour a rain forest…So I’ve been to Costa Rica…I generally don’t like rain, but the rain has made Costa Rica one of the most lush countries I have ever visited…I mean the green is in technicolor over there…I also zip lined in a Costa Rican rain forest…It was exhilarating, but this recap is not of my trip…(I’m planning a summer vacation so tropical locales are on the brain.) While the couples are on the tour, Erica pledges to stand up to her sister once and for all and tell her that Mary Mary is over. “I’ve got to stop Mary Mary no matter who it hurts.” Yeah, yeah, Erica, I will believe it when I see it…From what I can see, erebody is scared of Tina….

Stir-Fried Crap

Those are the words that Warryn uses to describes how he feels after they return from the rain forest…In other words, Warryn is sick…He coughs and wheezes and looks like he is about to topple over while Erica takes him to the infirmary…For a second, she “breaks character” and says, “Not right now. Get that camera out of here.”

The Performance

After all of that drama, the time has finally come for Mary Mary to perform…Tina is the first one to show up for a change and is getting ready with a sound check…After a while, Erica shows up since she was taking care of Warryn…Erica wants to rehearse “A Little More Jesus” from her solo album which gets Tina irate. “First of all this is a Mary Mary performance.” And Erica responds with, “At this point, they like Mary Mary and Erica Campbell.” And then she delivers the best line of the night: “I’m over it. Warryn is sick, my boobs are broke, Tina walked out and we still have a show.”

But the Marys manage to pull it together and perform and Warryn, even though he is sick, comes on stage to play the organ…The show is really good actually and Tina says, “What we have together, it’s not what we have apart.” Particularly, as it has taken them 14 years to build what they have together…Erica agrees but says, “I just want to take a minute for Erica.” Thank you for standing in your truth Erica and not letting your little sister be the boss of you!!! Tina says she has been “loosed” of her Mary Mary shackles pretty much whether she wanted to be loosed or not…

So at this point, they only have one more scheduled Mary Mary performance…will Erica keep her mind made up or will she continue to be double-minded and unstable in all of her ways?

I hope this 7th episode is the completion of this back-and-forth drama about Erica Campbell vs. Mary Mary but I guess we will have to see what happens next Thursday!!!

Any thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cruising Musings

Hello World!!!

Aww, yes, I have finally gotten back to my regular schedule post cruise and now that I’ve had time to reflect, I think I can write a somewhat interesting piece on my 35th b-day vacation. (I’m sure you will tell me if it’s the most boring thing you’ve ever read.)

If you’ve read my previous post on my 35th b-day, you know how I feel about it, but what I neglected to tell you was how I had planned to celebrate it. Drum roll pleaazzz….Me and my girl, V, embarked on a seven-day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. We started in Puerto Rico and visited Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten and St. Thomas.

I wish I could sum up the experience in a word, but I cannot – so I will tell you about my thoughts here and there along the way. (This blog thing can be sooo self indulgent, but oh well…)

Day 1

In the airport still in the A, as I slipped back on my sandals after the security check, a guy commented on my hair and shoes and muttered something that sounded like, “Really pretty.” I smiled, replied “Thank you,” and wondered if his comment was indicative of the events to come. Some days, no matter how cute you think you look before you leave the house, you ain gettin’ no play for whatever reason. I took his comment as an affirmation that the “Cute gods” had sprinkled pixie dust on me, and I was well on my way to some much need flirting…okay, pause…For those who have read my previous post on my man fast, you may be wondering why I even care…Well, y’all know this blog is supposed to be “fresh, real and relevant.” Well let me be REAL, I have successfully completed about three man fasts. (U, my girl, is my witness!) But this time around, I have fallen off the wagon…not sure what’s up with me…praying about it…get back to y’all at some point, I think, about it…

Anyway, this blog is dragging a bit so let me speed it up. So I’m looking forward to some light flirting on the cruise. Fast forward to our arrival in PR. From the moment we got off of the plane, it seemed like we were bathing in heat, and I loved it…I ADORE hot weather…And then I started looking at everyone in the airport. When I visited in PR years ago, I was struck at how beautiful everyone was…I love my white friends, but I have never been envious of their skin color. (Okay, I did hang a towel from my head when I was little girl to pretend like I had long, flowing hair like the white girls at my elementary school, but that is where the envy stopped.) Everywhere you looked, everyone was bronzed and beautiful…

Day 2

Me and V were excited because we boarded the “Adventure of the Seas.” As we are waited in line to board the ship, we were told that we could buy liquor duty free at the store in the loading area. Me and V walked in the store and took a look around. (Okay, I know some Christians don’t approve of drinking liquor. I’m not one of them. I don’t think it’s appropriate to get sloshy drunk, but I do enjoy some “spirits” every now and then, ha, ha!) I bought a bottle for a co-worker back home.  Flirting on day 1, buying liquor on day 2…hmm, I bet you’re wondering what’s coming next.

Day 3

At sea. Although it was my first full day on the cruise, it didn’t take me long to realize that eating is one of the main activities aboard a cruise ship…but I wondered how you gon look fine in your bathing suit if you’ve been eating too much…clearly, not all of the cruisers pondered this dilemma as I saw a feast of flesh daily…Remember, keeping it real, keeping it real…

Day 4

Barbados. I’ve started to adapt to the fact that I wasn’t at work and any amount of exertion i.e. leaving my bed, made me want to go back to sleep. It’s really weird, actually, how you quickly you get into vacation mode. Me, V and some of the women that we cruised with took a quick tour of the beautiful isle of Barbados. My parents will probably hate me for saying this, but I almost feel like if you’ve seen one beautiful, tropical island, you’ve seen them all, but I had high hopes for discovering its uniqueness in under four hours – the length of the excursion. We visited a rum distillery and a plantation house among other sites. Those plantation houses show up all over the world, don’t they? Y’all know what I’m talking ’bout.

Day 5

St. Lucia. Again, beautiful, tropical isle. We visited a botanical garden where we were introduced to cocoa trees through which we get chocolate…my traveling companions didn’t quite understand my fascination…let’s just say I have a love/hate relationship with this substance…anyway, I thought about smuggling a few seeds in my bra to grow some trees in my backyard, but the thought of being embarrassed at the airport allowed to gracefully back away from the trees…

Day 6

Antigua. Someway or another, me and V were sooo tired from exerting ourselves dancing at Club Jester, the ship club, and other activities that we managed to sleep in til just about noon. After eating brunch, we decided to venture off of the ship. In no less than half an hour, the heat drained us and we decided that we wanted to abruptly stop our perusal of the shops nearby the port. But then we happened upon a spa where we were able to get somewhat reasonably priced massages…I discovered a red swelling on my leg later that night and wondered if one of those island masseuses had put a hex on me…my father once told me that in Jamaica a man put a hex on him and he coughed up blood…we island people believe in voodoo…

Day 7

St. Maarten.  Can y’all believe that me and V had still not been on the beach yet. So we put on our bathing suits, took a water taxi from the port and deposited ourselves in the middle of the white sand…V waded in the water, and I guarded our belongings under a beach umbrella. A woman bearing several trinkets that she claimed she made herself tried to entice me to buy one of of them. I said, “No.” Another woman bearing several trinkets that looked suspiciously familiar to the first woman’s trinkets tried to entice me to buy her trinkets. I said, “No.” When a third person approached me and went into a similar spiel, I almost screamed, “No and spread the news to all of your beach peddling friends.” But I didn’t. That would have been rude and likely insensitive…besides in Bush’s economy, I may be reduced to selling “handmade” trinkets…

Day 8

St. Thomas. When I spotted an Obama headquarters in a shopping center, I screamed! Wow, it’s really great, isn’t it?! The most blue water I’ve ever seen. We traveled past Sapphire Bay which was, in in a word, breathtaking… I started to feel sad though because it was the last stop before we sailed back to PR.

Day 9

Back in the A – tired, serene and broke…

Any thoughts?

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Cruising Musings Coming Soon!

Hello World!!!

Yes, I’m back from my Eastern Caribbean Cruise with Royal Caribbean! (Awesome cruise line if you’re in the market!) Right now, I’m walking serenity although I sometimes lose my balance because I still feel like I’m swaying on the cruise ship! (Yes, no matter what anyone says, you can feel the ground move under your feet!) Not even John McCain and his reference to Barack Obama as “That One” can ruffle me…It sounds dangerously close to “You People,” but I digress.

At any rate, I do have LOTS I want to share with y’all so yes I will be breaking the international rule of traveling – what happens in or on…, stays on in or on… But to my friends that traveled with me, don’t worry that I will reveal your secrets. Self disclosure is strictly my forte.

However, this week I must devote to catching up on my job. With the Bush Doctrine (I’m not politico Sarah Palin, but even I know that. What is it you say? I want to be vulgar but I won’t. I guess the sanitized version is Texas Hold ’em and we seem to be losing. Rant, Rant, Rant!),  the economy is no joke and a girl has got to keep her job!

So expect “Cruising Musings” in Sunday, October 12 in which I will be dishing about me and my first cruise! In the interim, here’s a pic of me and the “Adventure Of The Seas.”

Any thoughts?